If you’re expecting to start up the game and be presented with cackling hags dashing across the skyline on broomsticks you’ve come to the wrong place. A "Witcher" is a monster hunter; a human genetically modified for this task, skilled with the sword and a class of their own within the fantasy world which they inhabit. Punctuated by his pale Witcher’s skin and lank white locks, the game’s protagonist Geralt is the 'the' in The Witcher. We follow him as he looks to hunt down those that launch an attack on the Witcher’s keep soon after he has been carried back suffering from pre-game amnesia.
The word ‘mature’, when referring to videogames, too often references gratuitous violence or overtly sexual content, and is rarely used to describe the themes of a title’s narrative. And although The Witcher contains a decent amount of the two earlier things, the game’s narrative and themes are a reasonably mature affair in terms of their complexity.
Looks like she bought those clothes off the emperor.
Paralleling the issues that plague our own world, the themes that run through the game are quite deep and poignant. Racial tensions and violence exist within the everyday milieu of The Witcher’s world. All of these things have their causes, but these are almost always complex, and the game seems to want to explain that they are rarely simply the result of 'evil'. For example, one early mission has you guarding a shipment of supplies only to find that it is heading to fund a non-human 'terrorist' group whose hatred of humans is only placed in equal measure against those humans who hate dwarves and elves, and often commit their own genocidal acts. Who is right? The answer it appears is neither side. However, the game lets you pick a faction through your actions rather than simply clicking on an alignment icon.
For the most part the story is fantastic and rather deep. However there are occasions where it comes across as though things have been cut, badly translated, or just not well put together. Indeed, some parts feel a little disjointed, such as when leaving a mob of assassins in one cave, only to be confronted by an unlinked acquaintance in the next area of the cave system who seems to have mysteriously transported from her hut.
The voice acting is generally rather decent only really faltering when the script does. However, we did notice that one of the characters voices change actor for a couple of lines out of nowhere, which seemed a bit sloppy.
Many RPGs present multiple dialogue choices that, although varied in detail, only act as a façade behind which a single outcome is hidden, all leading to the same eventuality. However, there are moments in this game, although slightly too few, where the choices you have effect more than just what the characters are saying. Often these decisions also magnify the fact that within this world no one is right or wrong, and that actions often perpetuate the issues that infect the world. On one occasion, Geralt muses that life used to be simpler for a Witcher when things were simply ‘bad’ and ‘good’ and his choices were clear. This seems a clear reference to the way in which many games are put together.
Unfortunately for The Witcher, a main element that is brought up by many is the player's ability to 'bed' partners who are scattered throughout the game. Even though this is only a small aspect of the gameplay, it is something that indicates that the game’s birthplace was somewhere in Europe rather than within the Puritan founded borders of the USA. It’s a shame though that The Witcher doesn’t put this unique element to good use, or to even implement it in the truly mature way that other areas of the game are. Partners are mere conquests and once you’ve got your 'nudie' card as a reward for clicking on the plainly obvious dialogue option for sweet talking them into bed, there are few consequences to the game world or your relations with the character. This seems a missed opportunity for something that is rarely explored in gaming.
Uh, Geralt... you're holding that thing backwards mate.
Combat within The Witcher is a decently complex and involving task. Three different fighting stances are used to best attack different enemies. These can be switched on the fly or when the game is paused during the fight. Time based attacks also add to the richness of the swordplay. By clicking again at the right time, a stream of combos can be unleashed upon your foes. Along with the swinging of blades by using the right mouse button, Geralt is able to cast spells which both increase in power and multiply in style as you progress through the game.
Along with his magic abilities, Geralt holds skills in potion making which supplies him with much of his non-blade based abilities. These can be created when resting by a fireplace. Playing on easy it isn’t too difficult to make it through the game with little focus on these powerful mixtures, but on the harder difficulties the player needs to keep note of what potions may be useful in any given situation, be they for healing or night vision. The addition of these modifying agents makes emerging victorious from a difficult fight seem a rather strategic and rewarding affair.
The collecting of herbs for potions makes it obvious that The Witcher’s inventory system is a little unpolished. As a result of your virtual sack being quite large, along with the variety of attainable objects being immense, it can become a little clumsy to navigate. The small icons that represent your possessions do not really stress what it is you’re holding, and it’s generally hard to distinguish one from the next without hovering the mouse over each item.
As with most RPG’s, as you progress you’ll be rewarded with experience points which in turn will grant higher levels and thus more skills. The levelling system in The Witcher requires Geralt to rest, which will bring up a skill page with various ‘trees’ in multiple areas, with basics such as stamina and intelligence, and more complex stats such as fighting styles and magic. There are quite a lot of skills to level up in, meaning that it really does feel as though you’re customising your character to match the way in which you like to play.
Sometimes it's nice just to sit back and admire the view.
While there are games out that are more visually impressive, The Witcher’s art style is quite cohesive and aesthetically solid. Character models look great especially when it comes to movement. Along with this, the various areas of the game world also appear to have been designed by a team of talented artists. Citizens huddle under leaves as rain pounds down upon the streets, while children skip around you playing their games and singing twisted nursery rhymes, as men and women wander by gossiping about the world around them. There are three different view options available, two of which are isometric ‘traditional’ perspectives, with the final one being from over the shoulder. The latter is the superior of the alternatives, as far too often things can obscure your view and the camera controls are a little clunky using the isometric options.
The most glaring fault with the game is not in its gameplay at all, but rather in the time it takes for things to load. There were multiple times, especially when entering larger areas, when we had more than enough time to go and make ourselves a cup of coffee or begin tidying up our desks. It’s lucky that the game held enough compelling content to keep us coming back from these 'tea breaks'.
The Witcher is a great title and is indeed one of this year's RPG gems. It’s maturely tackled themes and involving gameplay are only let down on a few occasions by a couple of inconsistencies and poor 'decisions'. It is testament to developers CDProjekt that the 'consequences' of these only effect the brilliant story and immersive world slightly. Had these issues been ironed out, The Witcher would truly have been a force to be reckoned with.
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